Nutritional Composition and Phytochemical, Antioxidative, and Antifungal Activities ofPergularia tomentosaL.

Abstract

Crude extracts from a medicinal Tunisian plant,Pergularia tomentosaL., were the investigated natural material. Butanolic extract of roots analyzed with IR spectra revealed the presence of hydroxyl, alcoholic, and carboxylic groups and sugars units. Analysis of some secondary metabolites, total phenolic, flavonoids, flavonols, and procyanidins, was performed using different solvents following the increased gradient of polarity. Fruits and leaves contained the highest amounts of all these compounds. Antioxidant properties were evaluated by the determination of free radical scavenging activity and the reducing power of methanolic extracts. Fruits and leaf extracts were the most powerful antioxidants for the two-assay in vitro system. Stems and fruits extracts exhibit an antifungal activity againstFusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersiciwhich could become an alternative to synthetic fungicide to controlSolanumspecies fungal diseases.